Missionary Letter: Paradox

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 11:52 PM

Okay here's a secret, I hate subject lines. I have no paradox for you at the time being, but it's the first word that came to my head when I had to fill in the blank. But actually, my English is getting really bad, i could not for the life of me remember how to spell envision. I couldn't remember if it was an e or an i. I finally decided it is probably an e. There is an Elder in my district that is an English major in college...and we discussed how to spell it three times already, with the conclusion that it is probably e, but neither of us would put money on it. Both of us agree that not reading a variety of books and learning a new language that is in almost no ways similar to your original language makes the original language skills decrease if you aren't keeping them up. I constantly find myself scratching things out in my journal and spelling them 3 or 4 times before I feel good about what I just wrote. My punctuation is completely sporadic, and i find myself often wondering what the meaning of words, such as remission are. Even though I already know...but then I just covet an English dictionary. Haha. And the Elder said that he just doesn't read his emails over twice anymore to combat feeling bad about his decreasing English skills, I'd kind of already adapted that policy way back in the MTC.

This week has been a crazy, crazy week. Yesterday we were in Taipei, and I was talking to one of the random Elders that showed up in the office with me at the same time...since my companion was in a going home job seminar, and I was just hanging out at the office. And we came to the conclusion that Heavenly Father knows us so personally, that if we are people that respond to humorous happenings, he uses a very funny sense of humor to teach us a lesson or six. So that you can sort of even understand because I couldn't even write it all out, I'll just tell you about one of the funny days out of the 2 or 3 I've had this week...since you already know the first part, or at least mom does...

So Thursday morning, we left our apartments like a normal day, and started the bike out to Neili, a pretty quick ride for us, because it is downhill. We were scheduled with a girl named Smile, who actually had saw me on the side of the street and turned around on her motorcycle and asked if she could meet with us. She is new in town and doesn't know the area, so we had planned 2 weeks ago to meet at the Carrefoer, a huge store here, kind of like a Walmart or something. Well, at that time my companion hadn't really asked which Carrefoer and just assumed the one in Zhongli, so we went over there, and found out she was at a different Carrefor...and she had to go, so she said we'd reschedule for her next day off. That was Thursday. People here work crazy hours...so she just gets a day off a week and works like 14 hour days. So yeah, we are biking to Neili, and we are going fast downhill, down tiny alley roads...and I come out into a small intersection, and there is a car down the hill a little ways, and I quickly evaluated breaking, but was scared I'd be thrown forward on my bike, so I decided to speed up instead, and should have cleared before the car got to the same point as me...unfortunately, for a reason I'm unsure of, the car also sped up...and so, hit me pretty hard in the back tire. I'm glad I sped up though, because then I was blessed to not fly off my bike and distroy my face or get hit in the middle, and have my body bruised up or anything...so yeah, my bike flew up pretty high in the air, but fortunately I was able to react fast enough to turn the bike to a more upright position with my thighs and land on my foot still holding my bike up. All that I felt, since I was probably in shock, was that my thighs hurt really bad from shoving my bike into a certain position in the air. The man got out of the car and apologized and asked if I was okay, and after I said I was fine, he looked at his car, and then was like, whatever...and told me I could go on my way. And these people that saw it all came up to me and patted me on the back and said I'd be okay, and xingku (respectable?) me. So yeah, we were not far to the Carrefor, so we finished riding out there, but my companion said my tire was pretty bent up...so it was riding really slow and took a LOT of effort, but since it was only a couple blocks we made it no problem. Then we waited and waited for Smiles...and in the end found out that she was at yet another Carrefor, on the same road, different section, 20 minute bike ride down the street! Well, she had time to wait for us this time, but my bike wouldn't ride, and I had a bad feeling it was only getting worse, so we had to cancel on her again!! Wrong Carrefor twice! So once again, we didn't get to meet with her! We called and said it's probably Satan or something, and we are lucky, she said she'd re set-up when she knew her schedule on Sunday...So then we went to the bike shop, and I had to spend all the rest of the money I had for the month to repair my bike.

Well, I thought, no problem, I have money in my bank account, I'll just find somewhere to withdraw the money...but no ATM would take my card from Wells Fargo, and I was suspecting after a couple banks, that it was blocked, which I suspected since to this point I've been unable to withdraw money from it on my mission. So then, Friday, I called President, and told him I had 200 kuai left and had to go to Taipei twice before we got paid and eat...so I needed to be able to withdraw money from my home card. Especially since bike repair, our mission account we sign says to use money for home. So yeah, i want to follow the rules too. So...a phone card to America costs 200 kuai, so I knew I couldn't eat until I got money from my home account....since I had about 5 kuai left, which is nothing...100 kuai is like 3 dollars. So, despite the late time in America, I phoned home with permission, and had to get everything straightened out with mom! Thanks...haha. But that didn't mean the bank was straightened out...I called the toll-free Taiwan number to Wells Fargo, and they were saying they couldn't confirm my identity, and just wanted me to look online and check something, or give them my account number, which I didn't have...and I kept telling her my last POS purchase, but she said it was wrong, so after like 20 minutes of kind of going in circles with this Wells Fargo person, I changed the date of when I said the POS purchase was, and she unblocked my card. I'm not sure if she gave in or I was just saying it wrong seriously. But she said she found it, and I was really grateful, but then had no time for lunch because we had meetings, but it was okay, I was able to get money out so that we could ride the bus out to Rita's...who is scared to be baptized tomorrow, but I think she'll be ready soon, she just has to overcome a little bit of a family disagreement problem, she hates doing things her sisters don't agree with, so she's praying about it right now...but yeah...so I withdrew some money and we rode the bus up there...and now I only have 4 minutes left, because I took too long reading emails...but what ended up happening, is we parked our bikes, rode up and back to Ritas, and I ended up dropping my key in a gutter and so we had to pay again to get back on the bus and ride it to our apartment, get my spare key, and ride the bus back up to the bikes...it was a crazy week with stuff like that happening all week!

I'll send pictures next week, I was going to send them this week, but no time and I don't want to spend money on another hour! We are going to play with the Elders and some members at the church today, make food, play some games...because it's sister hill's last p-day she'll have time, next week she'll be packing since she leaves Thursday morning. Still not sure what will happen to me, I'll tell you next week when they decided and tell me! bye bye!

Blog of the Month: An LDS Missionary Couple in Peru

One of the most colorful missionary blogs that I have encountered is Scott and Beverly Zimmerman's An LDS Missionary Couple in Peru. Culturally it is one of the best that I have read as they have dozens of pictures of Peruvian natives in colorful poses and describe cultural practices.

They describe in great detail their travels as well as an occasional baptism or two thrown in. On a four day trip to Lima they show pictures of the Peru Lima CTM which is some of the few pictures that I have found on a blog. On of my favorite posts is A Day of Mormon and Peruvian Culture which describes where members of ten branches got together for a big activity. It is again the spectacular photographs that make this an enjoyable post.

If you want to spend an enjoyable hour or two check out their blog. The photography is some the best I have encountered in a while.

Learning the Hard Way: Tips on Foreign Banking and Missionaries

Last night my wife and I received an emergency phone call at 1:43am from our daughter serving in the Taiwan Taipei Mission concerning the fact that she was not able to pay for a repair on her bicycle since our bank had frozen her account. She had the grand total of $90 U.S. in her account and the bike was going to cost her $30 Taiwan New Dollars (U.S. $1). The bank refused payment when she tried to pay the bike shop. My daughter says she forgot to call the bank and tell them she was going to be in Taiwan. The bank had let her use her card a couple of times without freezing it. Her mission president didn't want her to call the bank directly and told her to call us the parents to handle the matter so as not to waste valuable mission time.

The General Instructions Checklist states:

In case of an emergency, you should carry $100 cash while traveling to your mission (Does not apply to senior missionaries)

The most convenient way to send funds is through a personal debit card, which the missionary sets up before arriving at the MTC. Additional funds should be minimal and can be used to obtain local currency from ATMs as well as for purchases and cash advances at most businesses. All missionaries leaving from the U.S. and Canada should have a personal debit card when they arrive at the MTC, with a minimum balance of $100 to cover any additional expenses such as immunizations.

I was a bit perplexed by his request, having lived in Saudi Arabia myself and knowing he was a former military man that had lived in other countries, that he didn't realize this is a common problem and needed to be handled directly with the bank by the account holder. It is not a big deal and requires about five minutes effort from the account holder instead of the one hour we wasted trying to talk to the bank who refused to help us and our daughter who called us twice. I didn't get back to sleep until 3am. I am going to save other parents a bit of grief by telling you how to avoid ATM card problems.

The bank's toll-free number was on the back of the card and all my daughter had to do was dial the country code (002) and the toll free number 1-800-XXX-XXXX or the number and the area code. My wife is on the account but banks only like to talk directly with the person who is the primary card holder and refused to help her. The bank representative said our daughter had to call. If you are dishonest you could pretend to be your child but your cellphone might give you away. My wife chose to be honest. My daughter who is obedient to her mission president conveyed the request but the bank refused to cooperate. My wife went through the useless exercise but had the presence of mind to tell our daughter to call back in fifteen minutes. In the end our daughter ended up calling a foreign toll-free number. The bank wanted the last two transactions to verify that the account holder really has the account which my wife gave our daughter.

When I lived in Saudi Arabia I had four occasions when despite having thousands of dollars in my account they refused payment until I called even though I had filed a travel plan for both me and my wife for her own accounts. Luckily I had a cell phone and called from the ATM or store which refused my purchase or cash advance. Missionaries all don't have cell phones so make sure you give them an international calling card that allows them to make such emergency calls from a pay phone.

The bank wants three things when an account holder calls: the account number or bank card number, the last four digits of their social security card, and one or two recent transactions ro verify the account. The first two are not a problem the latter though when a missionary is at a store and not near a cybercafe on P-Day nor at the mission office can be problematic. My wife looked up the last two transactions on her computer and gave them to my daughter with the date of the transaction and the specific amount and vendor.

Before going on a foreign mission a missionary needs to give their bank a travel plan which can be done orally or in a branch depending on the bank. You say to them after verifying your account number, social security etc "I am John Henry Smith I will be going to X foreign mission in foreign country until a specific date." Make sure you calculate a date for their release accurately. The minute the missionary arrives in a U.S. air port they should call you and the bank in case they need their ATM card as they go across the country. Banks are bureaucratic and they flagged accounts that move from one country to another. It is a hit and miss proposition and may or may not happen.

When I came back to the U.S. I had a couple of stopovers. They took the card the first time in NYC and then froze it at the second Atlanta. I had to make a call which was cleared up again in less than five minutes. They aren't as restrictive in the U.S. when traveling between states or cities but foreign travel is more restrictive.

Another problem is that missionaries aren't good at calculating exchange rates. If a missionary in a foreign country tries to take out more than they have three times, the bank might freeze their account. The bank will freeze their account until they call them and then they could be transferred to a different division who handles fraud. The missionary might think that an account is frozen if they try it a couple of times and no money comes out but it might just be they don't have enough in their account. Missionaries in foreign countries with U.S. bank cards need to be aware they need to ask for less than they have or the card could be frozen. This is just your bank trying to save you from theft or misappropriation of your account.

The church doesn't really encourage parents to send much cash because of a variety of reasons such as lavish spending that could demoralize companions and distract from the work or to stop missionaries as targets for possible theft. When I was on a mission one missionary actually bought a couple of televisions that were eventually confiscated by the mission president. In addition it is hard to maintain unity if one companion eats steak and the other Top Ramen or one eats good restaurant food and the other dislikes him and doesn't share. I think it is good to have one or two hundred in case of snafu's like the ATM card being locked out temporarily even the MTC recommends $100 cash while traveling. It is a time waster in that not every store will take it and if they do they have to convert it holding up the line or the missionary has to convert it which banks won't do if you aren't an account holder.

The other angle is theft in some missions they carry a few buck in case of a mugging. A thief has less of a chance to get the missionary's money if he or she carries an ATM card. Each mission has different specific rules for security purposes of minimal amounts to carry like five or ten bucks. If you send your kid cash from time to time make sure you give them change not all twenties unless you like to support the local economy in style.

We were actually out of compliance since we didn't keep up with her account and notice that her ATM account had dipped below the $100 figure. My wife transferred an additional hundred bucks before she called the bank but that still didn't help with her frozen account and it won't show up for an hour or two. Once our daughter unfreezes her money by calling it will help her in the future pay for incidental expenses not covered by the mission. It is more costly to be in a bike area than a car area I am discovering. The mission maintains their fleet but for some reason not their bikes. I would prefer my daughter be in a walking area or car area since I have to scrimp to pay the four hundred each month. This bike has been a pain in my behind from the beginning since I had to shell out three hundred and have it repaired twice now. She got her raincoat stuck in the spokes which really mucked up the bike.

I didn't realize they have occasional zone and district P-Day activities like going to an acquarium or zoo that were inexpensive and she might need a few bucks until she emailed me a month ago. I never gave my other two daughters a single cent while on their mission other than paying their $400 monthly expense. Every mission has different monetary practices and entertainment policies. My daughter assured me she could just not attend but it sure breaks you heart when the other missionaries are going to a park or museum and your kid is left out.

Elder Richard G. Scott Pronounces Apostolic Bless on New Zealand Auckland Missionaries

On 30 April 2009 Elder Richard G. Scott left an apostolic blessing on the New Zealand Auckland missionaries:

As you ponder and try to understand who the Savior is during your mission, you will understand him more fully and it will be the foundation of your life. For those of you who are mastering another language I invoke a blessing of the gift of tongues. You exercise that gift with faith. After today you should find a greater ability to learn and communicate in an acquired tongue. What would I have you remember from our experience together, just one thing, an individual—insignificant and not very strong or capable but with the mantle and keys of an apostle said to you:

‘I positively know and bear witness that Jesus Christ lives. He is a glorified resurrected being of perfect love. He personally guides this church. And I accept responsibility before my Father in Heaven for what I say for it is true. His Son lives!’”

In an earlier post this year I spoke about Apostolic Blessings citing an example of Elder Boyd K. Packer leaving one some missionaries in the MTC on how their families would be blessed and one by Elder Russell M. Nelson. It is common when an apostle or seventy visits a group of missionaries to leave some apostolic words of encouragement.

Missionary Letter: Shenme Shenme (Taizhung Missionaries Now Transfered to Taipei Mission)

Tuesday, July 21, 2009 11:21 PM

So one of our Elders this week said it's really easy to set up the computer to type out pinyin instead of bopomofo so I can write in Chinese characters, but unfortunately I must have lost a lot of computer savvy because I can't figure out how to change the Chinese typing system on this computer. It sure doesn't help that it's all in Chinese...haha.

But yeah, sorry this week is going to have to be a fast email, because we have to catch the bus that comes in 20 minutes to Taipei...So I have like 12 minutes to type this. This week was pretty cool. It was our first zone conference with President Grimley. Zhongli still doesn't have the chance to interview with him until next Monday, so to be honest I don't know much about the Grimley's besides the get to know you thing they did where he talked about how everything good that happened to him, all sorts of blessings, started from his mission. I can't remember if I already said that or not. But Zone Conference was pretty good. I have to admit, it was different from being with the Nielson's but not a bad different. They added Xinchu to our mission, and so there were 24 more people in our zone conference than before. It was fun to see them. Quite a few of them are dying this transfer. I think it would be really weird to be part of the Taizhong mission, then all of a sudden part of the Taipei mission. But it was still really great because I got to meet 4 new sisters and they are really friendly and nice. It was exciting to have them. At Zone Conference we discussed being Unified. Baptism was talked about a lot too. We practiced the invitation they wanted us to be extending in English and Chinese. So that's good, because now I know a specific invitation that is powerful and I can use in our teaching. Before zone conference, what me and my companion just changed depending on who it was and such, but now we ask what is in the Preach My Gospel, and I've just seen how it is more powerful. The next day at District Meeting we further perfected it. Elder Kasey Lords (there, i'm including first names for dad when I know them...haha, i just don't know how to spell their names, so i'm guessing) played inny-minny-miny-mo (however you spell that too!) to pair us up. We did it 3 times, the first you accepted the commitment, the second you just didn't have time on the date, and the third you needed a question resolved before you were willing. Elder Dennis Mauldwin and I did it together, and I just seriously felt the power in the invitation a lot stronger than when we had extended invitations before. I was actually one of our real investigators, and it was nice to see how he resolved her concern. My companion did it with E. Lords and she was another investigator of ours. So we talked about it and think we have a pretty good idea of how to re-extend the commitment to our investigators in a powerful way, and more ideas now to resolve their concerns, so it was a really good activity...even though I honestly don't like roleplays...but I admit, they are useful.

In other news, this week was really quite the experience! I don't know if I've written a lot about Yvonne these last couple weeks...she had a baptism date of the 12th, which was her husbands birthday...but then that date passed, and a few of her dates had passed, and we didn't feel like it was right to try to re-extend a commitment at the time, so we asked her to pray about her need to be baptized, and that we would set-up a baptism for her whenever she was ready...and she just needed to call us and we'd get things together. She said she needed to have a serious discussion with her husband, so we encouraged her to do that. That week and the next, we kept following up on her prayer and if she discussed it with her husband. We felt a little annoying because she finally just said she'd call us back when she did it...so we thought we'd give her a little bit of time, since she told us she was going to go south for 2 weeks, and we thought that would be a good time to think about it since she said she still wasn't ready yet. But we made sure to leave cards that said to jiayou and not give up...then Friday morning there was a miracle! She called us that morning and said she wanted to be baptized on the weekend before she had to go south. And so we were SO excited. We asked her what changed her mind and she talked about how she had wanted to stop feeding her 2 year old breast milk, but she'd scream and cry every night when her mom tried to give her a bottle instead..and it hurt her heart to hear her baby scream and cry like that, so she prayed to Heavenly Father to give her child wisdom to know that both her milk, and the bottle milk were good. Then, in the next couple days she told Piao piao, that she was going to give her the milk in a bottle that night, hao bu hao? and her daughter was like...hao. She accepted it, and didn't cry. And she knew Heavenly Father really was there, and answered her prayers, and she needed to be baptized. But Sister Amy Hill and I were going on exchanges, and I was staying in the area, so we set up the interview with President Zeng for her, and Sister Hill went down to Bade. That day was crazy crazy. I was calling all the missionaries to invite their investigators and one of them to play the piano, the ward mission leader to set things up, all our investigators to invite them...and I'd never made a phone call in my life before...the senior companion always has the phone...but when the senior companion leaves the area, the junior is senior for 24 hours...so I had the phone and a million calls to make. It was so crazy hectic! So yeah, we had a baptism on Saturday and she got confirmed Sunday! And I had a really fun experience being with a native Taiwanese companion for a day...we really spoke a lot of Chingish. haha. So yeah, this week was a miracle. We had 10 people at church, less than last week but still a ton, and the afternoon investigators got to see Yvonne confirmed, and I'm really happy for her! We've known she's been ready for a long time, and it was a really exciting experience. Zhongli is a great place!

Okay, have to go, we are going to miss the bus if we don't run! bye!

A Bit of Advice on Missionary Blogs Proliferating in Response to an Outgoing Mission President Taking Exception to Family Missionary Blogs

I have to admit in my desire to share information about missionaries to help those going on missions or those who want to know more about mission presidents that not everyone is so open about helping others or sharing. I have encountered a couple minor glitches along the way where people were downright antagonistic. So I am going to inform you in a spirit of disclosure how to have security on your posts and a few dos and don'ts of missionary blogging. I won't give mission presidents any advice because I know the general authorities actually have been encouraging them to blog as a way of spreading the gospel message.

About four months ago there were about fifty missionary blogs with about six mission president blogs. Today that number has increased to well over two hundred missionary blogs with about twenty mission presidents blogging. There is probably dozens more but I haven't located them yet.

One of my best sources for finding missionary blogs that start up is Blog Pulse. I usually do a search on the term MTC. Just because you put up a blog and you can't find it on Google doesn't mean it can't be found by someone searching. There are different search engines and Blog Pulse specializes in searching blog posts. If a blog is in the public domain I add it as service for the entire Bloggernacle. If you don't want it read by the world then make it private which is really not hard to do. All the missionary related blogsites allow that option.

If you want to be helpful you should go in to layout and set your blog to feed otherwise it won't have the great nifty features I have on my list which is showing pictures, summaries etc. It will just have a link at the end of the list with no date stamp or other enhancement.

In fact it is hard to keep up daily with the proliferation of new missionary blogs, let alone link them to Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord two missionary peeps sidebars and the Mormon Blogosphere. The single best place for finding them is probably still the Mormon Blogosphere since they are in one large continuous list.

Not every mission president though is enamored of them being publicly available. A few weeks ago one mission president (whom I won't identify even though I know his name) contacted the families of every missionary in his mission with a known public blog (he found on my sidebar) and demanded via their stake president that the families remove them from public display. The parents were literally called in by their stake presidents. It was during the last week of his mission before a new mission president who is publicly blogging replaced him. But since he was in charge he had to power to do what he deemed necessary and told them to cease and desist from public blogging. I suggest you have your missionary report to their mission president that their family is sharing their emails on a blog. Most won't care but you might have one like the man above who insists they be removed.

My daughter's mission president asked her personally to convey to me a small snafu in that I had placed her email address on her blog. Only family members should be on the weekly email distribution list. Missionaries don't blog family members blog. The mission president was concerned that a young woman's president wanted to find a similar group in Zhongli, Taiwan as virtual pen pals. It was an inappropriate request to make directly to the missionary so she asked her mission president what to do. He told her to have the woman write the bishop directly. She was told she could have made the request in two ways either to us the parents who could track down the bishop or to the mission president directly who would have passed it along to the bishop. The mission rule says missionaries are to email their families only. Familes then have the discretion as to how they share what the missionaries tells them.

It really traumatized the families of the missionaries who were signaled out by that mission president since he threatened to reassign the missionaries if their families didn't quit blogging. I don't understand his logic since none of them were personally blogging and had no influence on what their families did back home with their weekly emails. The stake president told them if they families did not comply their child could be transferred. Instead of arguing with him one family took down their site and another one made it private. It was sad to see the families punished when it was their desire to share the blogs with family and close friends. In fact they emailed me and asked me to remove their links which I did. None of them were angry with me when they realized that I was using search engines to find them. You can set your blog to not feed which makes it hard even for Blog Pulse to find. I find just as many on Google as Blog Pulse but I am actively searching for every link about every LDS mission in the world, which is the purpose of my blog.

The mission president had their emails and phone numbers could have very well contacted them privately but he choose to contact their ecclesiastical leaders making them appear to be out of harmony with the church guidelines. The missionaries involved who were sister missionaries had nothing to do with the matter other than the fact the families put up what they wrote each week. Both missionaries involved were exceptional missionaries that follow the rules exactly. It was a sad situation since one had waited for months to be in her assigned area and was excited to be in an active area with lots of teaching opportunities.

I think he was a bit oversensitive but like I told them "He is in charge." One side note that I guess he forgot is that every ward bulletin in the world has the address of the missionaries. If he was so in to confidentiality about the families involved he should have insisted that the stake presidents and bishops remove the address from the ward programs. Also in the U.S. and Canada you find their addresses hanging in the hallways under their missionary plaques. A pervert could just as well get in their car and go find them. I do understand his concern about listing their actual address on blogs. I think they should be taken down. It might speed up their getting packages but it keeps them safer by sending them to the mission home.

He cited as his reason that it was a security issue but I think he was embarassed that the public press read something they wanted the missionaries to comment on. Apparently something one reported to her family in a weekly email was viewed by a newspaper reporter and her address was listed on the site so the person went over to get a comment for a newspaper article. The mission president felt that caused a security breach. I don't fault him for being upset over the fact that some families list the physical address of their missionaries. One can never be too careful though and I suggest you do what I do which is only list the pouch address and the mission headquarters address. As to their speaking to reporters my mission president encouraged us to do such things including speaking at civic functions. He even told the missionaries at the MTC recently to do the same thing.

I really think we should have a compilation each year like Speeches of the Year that has all the general authority talks at the MTC. Then mission presidents would know what missionaries are being counseled and he won't be in conflict with advice given up higher. One of the missionaries was fresh from the MTC so she had a different perspective. Expectations should be clearly articulated to the missionaries.

But there was apparently a disconnect between what Elder Ballard had told missionaries in a 2009 February MTC devotional and what the mission president believe. Elder Ballard told them they should be prepared to talk to the press if necessary. My daughter reported on the Adventures of Sister Flora Bruno that missionaries should be master teachers "so he [Elder Ballard] could throw any one of us to Washington Post and let us answer."

I advised the families who emailed me that if they really wanted to be careful they should redact the names of investigators i.e. instead of Mary Jones it would be Mary J. or M.J. In my previous two blogs I even redacted missionary companion last names as Sister H. With my last daughter I became a bit less private more out of laziness and the fact parents like to read about their kids companions and their adventures. There are things that I actually delete from the weekly posts if my daughter who now knows I post them publicly says please whatever you do don't talk about this or that. For the most part she edits her stuff including mention of converts in a very uplifting and faith-promoting way. More is gained than lost by public blogging by missionaries.

For now there is no definite policy for or against families posting blogs. I would caution you though in posting to be culturally sensitive and not post pictures of missionaries imitating Buddhas or sitting on Catholic statues or other religious icons. You should also not put up pictures of missionaries in their garments or unclad (I have seen a few even on MissionSite and Dear Elder) of both sisters and elders. You should also clean up their language if they are prone to expletitives. One lady actually publicly wrote about her missionary's struggle with depression as a way of helping parents including his going home early. It makes us more understanding when we follow the weekly life of the missionary.

You don't have to make the whole blog private if there is one sensitive email you can password protect a single post on Word Press or Blogger. One time a family decided to take a blog private but even included me as a user because I had read that blog faithfully for one year. In this case I have never violated my confidence about material posted there. Some missionaries are too shy and don't want others which from time to time include their mission presidents and general authorities from perusing their stuff.

If a blog is public it is in the public domain. There is no etiquette calling for permission for following someone's blog or linking to it. You just create a peep list. In fact Mormon Blogosphere is nothing more than large lists of categories placed in to three columns.

One thing I think about the issue of a mission president deciding against a missionary's family blogging is that they should show respect to them since they are making a great sacrifice of their resources including time and money. He has the right to do what he did since he has stewardship over all the missionaries in his field. He should just remember to be kinder and more gentle like Howard W. Hunter requested when he was the prophet and he might remember some advice Ezra Taft Benson gave about volunteer service:

In the Church especially, asking produces better results than ordering--better feeling, too. Remember to tell why. Follow up to see how things are going. Show appreciation when people carry out instructions well. Express confidence when it can be done honestly. When something gets fouled up, it is well to check back and find out where you slipped up-and don't be afraid to admit that you did. Remember, our people are voluntary, free-will workers. They also love the Lord and His work. Love them. Appreciate them. When you are tempted to reprimand a fellow worker, don't. Try an interesting challenge and a pat on the back instead. Our Father's children throughout the world are essentially good. He loves them. We should also. (God, Family, Country, p. 132.)

Just remember if you are publicly sharing your blogs to use good judgment.

Missionaries Unwinding Slide Show

Missionary Letter: EarthQuake!!!!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009 12:13 AM

So, this week has been a pretty fast one. I mostly say that because a lot of things have started to meld together and when I sit here to write my weekly email, I'm unsure of what happened this week and what happened last week for a lot of happenings. Other things I'm sure were this week. But time on a mission is a little bit different. I opened Paul Freeman's wedding announcement this week and I was shocked to see he was getting married in like 15 days, my initial thought was that they didn't have a long time being engaged at all...but I realized I shouldn't be shocked because it was almost 2 months ago I got the letter saying he was engaged. It's just the time has been so filled that it felt like a week and then I got the announcement. So that's just a pretty normal engagement period from what I experienced back in college. But it was funny how I felt like it was like 3 weeks. I was sooo excited though. It was a lot of fun back when Kimmy and Rocio got married to see that change happening. Now I'm getting to see it happen to my male friends who went on missions and come back experiencing the same thing. So yeah, the point of this story is to same time on a mission is not the same as it used to be.

My happening for the week though that I clearly can distinguish as this week, is that yesterday morning at 2am we experienced an earthquake!!! It wasn't too bad of an earthquake. But it was just funny hearing everyone experiences about how they woke up. And mine is one of the least funny. But for me, I was shook awake, and as my mind processed that it was an earthquake my companion screamed "EARTHQUAAAAAKE!!!" And my response was just..."yep." After that she wanted to know if we should stand in the doorway or get under the desks, but I just said, "Nah, lets stay in bed." The whole time I didn't move, I just laid there, to me it was just not too unordinary for some reason. It was bad enough to shake me awake, but it wasn't shaking things up and down, just side to side, so I figured I was fine. It got over pretty quick after that. Maybe another 30 or so seconds. Then my companion talked for a few minutes, and I didn't say much, I just tried to fall back asleep because it was 2 am and I was incredibly tired. The next morning though, it was so funny to hear the Elders stories. We has assumed some of them wouldn't wake up...but Elder Smith said he woke up thinking Elder Mauldwin was shaking his bed and he sat up, and the next thing he knew he was on his hands and knees on his bed, trying to hold balance, like a cat or something. And he woke up his companion, who probably would have slept through it. And E. Lord's also thought his companion was shaking him awake. So they had funny experiences. I feel like mine was boring, because my brain processed earthquake as my companion screamed it. I didn't think someone was shaking me awake and I didn't sit up and have to hold my balance...Sister Hill said she did too...but me...I was just rocked in bed...I guess I'm more used to natural disasters. It's probably from living in California. We used to have small earthquakes there too huh? From what I remember. And then the flood in Houston. I've been in Hurricanes, earthquakes...I just remain calm. I hear I'll experience some Typhoons here in Taiwan too. We'll see. In the morning though, I did notice our walls were slightly more cracked up than they had been the day before. But our apartment is still solid. Compared to cracks in some places I've seen, we have very few.

In other news, we've been getting fed a lot here in Taiwan lately. My companion leaves in like 3 weeks or something, and everyone wants to feed her before she goes. So we've been very blessed this week. Our schedules are pretty full and our stomachs too. Taiwan is a little different than other missions in America and stuff because a large majority of our meals are actually generally out. We eat breakfast at our apartments before studies, but then we eat at a stand/shop/restaurant for lunch and dinner...and then occasionally people will want to fed us, but mostly on Sunday. So it's been nice to get fed all the time this past week.

A lot of our investigators have been progressing towards baptism. They still have trials and obstacles, but they are slowly coming to know their Savior, and you can see the change occuring in their lives, and it's really amazing to be blessed to watch people change.

We had 14 people at church this week and most of our key indicators have went up, so Zhongli really is seeing miracles...

But I don't expect them to stay this high always because we will be in Taipei over and over, for things like Zone Conference, Sister Hill's last mission fireside, going home seminars...so yeah our schedules should continue to be pretty packed since we have less time during the week to meet with people and we have a lot to do with my companion going home. But it's been so neat to see them going up. Vacations coming up and people are leaving town. So there's a lot more change we are going to see this transfer. And the biggest change will be the companion one...but until that time comes, we are busy little bees working in earthquakes, temperatures over 90 one day, and an incoming typhoon with lots of wind and beating rain the next. The air is filled with humidity, and the streets are filled with thousands of people. There's a lot to do, and more lessons than I think my brain can fit sometimes occurring every day. Life is fun!

Unique Missionary Recipe Blog

The mother of Elder Tayler Christensen has put up a blog Mission Recipes of favorite recipes of her son. I think those seeking missionary recipes will find it of some value for other prospective missionaries. She has chosen some standard dishes that are missionary favorites.

When I was at BYU girls always like to make us Hawaiian Haystacks. Prospective missionaries and their parents can get a jump on choosing food dishes by checking out her blog.

Hawaiian Haystacks

1-2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup (add about half as much water as soup)
1 can cooked chicken (if you want to do it the easy way, or you can cook some frozen chicken breast)
grated cheddar cheese
chopped green onions
sliced black olives
shredded coconut
chow mein noodles
rice
spices to taste
cubed pineapple

This recipe isn't a very exact science. You can add pretty much however much of whatever you want. I cook our rice in a rice maker (you could also do minute rice in the microwave), cook the cream of chicken soup and chicken in a saucepan, and add oregano, onion powder, a little garlic powder, and/or whatever else I'm in the mood for. The chicken soup goes over the rice, and you add the cheese, chow mein noodles, veggies, coconut, and whatever else you want on top. YUM!

There are quite a few recipes on the site plus she wants others to add their comments and suggestions. I think her blog can sustain itself even after her son's mission since there is a niche there.

Freak Accident Injures Missionary: Missionary Needs Prayers and Support of Members

Even though a day of special fasting has past on 5 July 2009 we all should pray for Elder Zerin Peterson who was injured while serving on his mission in the Colorado Springs Mission. Elder Zerin Petersen was injured in a freak Slip-N-Slide accident that has damaged his spinal column. I for one am praying for his recovery. Loralee Carey has put up a blog Elder Zerin Petersen to track his six month treatment and recovery. I checked the Deseret News and Church News for any notice about this sad event but was unable to find anything.

Loralee Carey reported on her family blog Life with the Carey the sad incident:

We've all heard about the rule of three's, right?

How life gets on a roll; maybe you write up 3 great sales in a row,

find 3 great deals in the grocery store,

or you manage to see 3 friends you haven't seen in a while, all in one week. . .

Then there is the bad stuff . . . the rule of three applies here, too.

In this past month, our ward (the local LDS church congregation) suffered the loss of three of our members. One person was quite elderly, lived a good long life, and was suffering from health issues. Another was a chronically ill man who had suffered quite extensively in his final years. The third was a dear friend to all who knew him, who died suddenly and tragically in a motocycle accident.

What do you do, how can you feel, when the fourth bad thing happens . . . ?

Is it an upset of the normal order of things, or is it the first of a new set of 3's?

I think it is time to pray for miracles . . .

Monday we received word that a good friend of my son, Chad, and one of the missionaries from our ward, Elder Zerin Petersen, had been injured in what anyone would describe as a freak accident. A split second action, without time to think of the consequences, and a young man's path was changed from missionary service, to being the recipient of an outpouring of love and service. This vibrant young man, neck broken, spinal cord injured, is now lying in a hospital bed. Our faith and love and prayers hold the hope that he will recover from this injury.

Our stake, (the regional LDS congregations made up of a groups of wards) and the two stakes that are in the Colorado Springs Mission boundaries, will be fasting in his behalf this Sunday.

There are a few amazing details to this story:

This young man is the son of the Boy Scouts of America executive in our area. As you would expect, he was raised to enjoy the Scouting program and all it has to offer. He is an Eagle Scout, with all of his Palms earned, and has taken many First Aid courses along the way. He was also trained and taught as a Lifeguard at Scout Camp, and taught others to be lifeguards as well.

As soon as he landed on his neck he tried to get up. He immediately collapsed and realized that he had a spinal cord injury. Would he have known that without the training that he had received? Likely he would have not.

He called out to the other missionaries that were present and rushing to his aid and said "I have a spinal injury. Don't touch me!" Clear thinking by this amazing young man likely saved his life and himself from further injury.

My husband, upon receiving a call about the accident, rushed out to the Boy Scout camp where his parents, Chris and Mari-Beth Petersen, and his brother, Javan, work during the summer, to deliver the horrifying news. With a heavy heart he told the shocked parents the information he had been given. Elder Petersen's parents, rushed home, packed, and flew out to Denver early the next morning.

A little information about this young man's parents. Chris Petersen, works as the regional executive of the Boy Scouts of America in our area. There are young men throughout the Northwest and and the state of Alaska that have, with the support of his wife, Mari-Beth, been affected by the work that he does. Chris has touched the lives of literally thousands of young men and helped them grow into knowledgeable, hardworking, and productive young men. He works long hours during nine months of the year, and in the summers he lives, in a small, dusty cabin at Boy Scout camp, and directs the activities that occur there. As his children have grown, they and his wife have joined him to work there during the summers as well. He is also known as "Abe", and if you have ever met him, you would know exactly why.

The members, missionaries, and the mission Presidency of the Colorado Springs mission and the Denver area have pulled together to coordinate housing, transportation, and everything else that the Petersen's might be in need of during their stay. This may seem a miracle in itself, but to members of the Church and the people that care about the Petersen's and the LDS missionaries, this is the way we look after and take care of each other. We are blessed to be a part of a loving ward family, and members of a church that considers one another to be brothers and sisters; literally, a family.

Another amazing detail - the Denver/Colorado Springs area is home of the Swedish Medical Center, a Level One trauma center and ranks among the top Neuroscience programs. It is also designated as a Neuroscience Center of Excellence (COE). Adjacent to the hospital is the Craig Hospital, which is an internationally known leader of spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation. One of the world's best neurosurgeons operated on Elder Petersen. There is no better place for him to be in the country, and quite possibly in the world, for him to be to get the care that he now needs.

His recovery will take some time. At this point he can move very little, and has only some sensation in his hands. There has been trama to his spinal cord, and the swelling to the spinal cord from the injury and the surgery to repair the vertibrae (C4) is the most critical factor right now. Four to five months has been mentioned for his stay in Colorado for physical therapy.

There has been an outpouring of people wanting to help. Their home needs some work that they have not had the time or money to do, and modifications will likely be needed to made their home wheelchair accessible.

I have received permission from his mother to set up a blog to keep everyone updated on his progress. I will post a link to it in the next few days. It will provide information to those who are interested in his progress, and possibilities of service - done confidentially without their knowing anything about it - for this amazing family.

Please keep Elder Zerin Petersen in yours prayers, and if you can, please join us in the fast for his recovery this Sunday, July 5

Thank you

The members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Days Saints

Lakeland 2nd Ward

Rathdrum, Idaho

and the Colorado Springs, Colorado Mission

Elder Spencer Craft reported on his blog:

Dear Mom,
I'm so sorry about last week. I was totally rushed in my emailing so I didn't get to nearly as much as I wanted to. I hope you understand and know that I love you! After emailing last Monday I didn't have time to write letters because we went to a member's home who had a huge slip-n-slide. It is an activity that missionaries have done for years, but last Monday there was a horrible accident. Elder Peterson, in our district, landing at the bottom funny which broke his C4 veterbrea in his neck. He was temporarily paralyzed from the shoulders down. Me and a couple others helped stabilize him until the ambulance got there. He had surgery that night (with one of the best doctors in the country for that thing), and he is doing a lot better. He can move his arms and hands and is making progress. He'll probably need months to recover, but it is very hopeful. Our mission president gave him a blessing, which sounded really good. It was definitely a crazy experience. Please don't worry about me; it was just a freak accident, but I do realize that we need to be very careful. Your prayers are very much appreciated!By the way, I know I did all I could have done, but I feel responsible to be very familiar with the things I've been taught in my EMT class. Could you please send me my EMT book that's down in my closet, so I can review it?

We should all remember Elder Petersen in our prayers and the family as they go through a difficult time. To keep track of his progress go to Elder Zerin Petersen's blog.

Missionary Hats Slideshow

2009 Mission Presidents' Seminar: A Comprehensive Synopsis

The Church News is one of the few sources for finding out what the general authorities say at the mission presidents' seminar each year in June at the MTC in Provo, Utah. The Saturday, 4 July 2009 issue was full of brief reports of the key talks from the Thursday, 25 June to Monday, 29 June 2009 five-day mission presidents' seminar. Jason Swensen and Shaun D. Stahle gave us fine synopses with a few pictures. I have tried to get the full talks in the past but was rebuffed by J. Roger Fluhman, secretary of the Twelve, who sent me a standard form letter not to bother the Twelve. I feel that any address delivered by the general authorities to mission presidents and missionaries should be reported in a paperback edition like BYU Speeches of the Year for general member reading. The best we can find are brief summaries in the Church News and an occasional Ensign or Liahona complete talk.

This year has exceptionally good quotes and it was good to see it was conducted at all despite the swine flu epidemic that had spread rapidly through the MTC and is barely winding down. Swensen, Stahle and photographer Scott G. Winterton put their health on the line to report for the Church News as did the general authorities. It is not as dangerous for young people as more mature people so it showed their mettle. This week a missionary reported the no handshaking ban has been lifted as the swine flu is starting to abate but that is since the seminar.

Not only the 100 mission presidents and their wives were in attendance but all the members of the 12 and many seventies as well as a member of the Presiding Bishopric to show members the brethren walk the walk and how safe it is to be at the MTC. One mission president reported instead of shaking hands mission presidents and general authorities rubbed elbows suit coat to suit coat. I like to see the talks in sequence so I have arranged them in to one post and found the following in chronological order in the Church News. Enjoy!

Jason Swensen reported on M. Russell Ballard's 25 June 2009 talk Elder Ballard speaks about purpose of missionary work:

Photo by Shaun Stahle

Missionaries training at the Provo MTC pause while crossing campus to greet their new mission presidents who are also being trained.

Elder M. Russell Ballard anchored his June 25 counsel to participants at the 2009 New Mission Presidents Seminar on the purpose of missionary work.

A member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder Ballard began by quoting "the purpose of missionary work" found on the opening page of Preach My Gospel (a guide Elder Ballard played a pivotal role in developing):

"Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end."

That purpose statement, he said, reflects the focus and desired outcomes of every one involved in missionary work.

The lessons taught in Preach My Gospel were prepared under the influence of Heaven.
"Thousands of hours were spent by the faithful staff and General Authorities to create the guide — including the purpose statement. This purpose statement is inspired," said Elder Ballard.

When missionaries understand their purpose, they understand they are primarily to find, teach and baptize. Some missionaries regularly stand up in zone conferences and recite their "purpose." But Elder Ballard said living that purpose is far more important than recited words.

"There is a big difference between the ability of missionaries to recite and their commitment to live and practice on a daily basis. They must stay committed to this objective."

Elder Ballard said it is the duty of a mission president and his wife to help the missionaries internalize their purpose to find, teach and baptize.

The missionaries must possess a deep desire to fulfill that purpose.

A missionary's success will be directly proportionate to their preparation, their obedience and their ability as a teacher, he added.

It's important that elders and sisters understand that it's all right to enjoy being a missionary and find joy in their work.

"One of your many challenges is to kindle the fire of a positive attitude and a desire in your missionaries and to keep it burning all the time. When a missionary knows how to teach, all he or she will want to do is teach," said Elder Ballard.

The Church leader said when missionaries teach with understanding and are filled with desire, the great work of preaching the gospel can be accomplished.

"All over the world, even in those areas where baptisms are not anywhere near what they ought to be, there are people who want to know who God is and what the relationship between themselves and our Heavenly Father is," said Elder Ballard. "They seek to know; they just don't know where to find this knowledge."

Jason Swensen reported on President Henry B. Eyring's 25 June 2009 talk Love of God motivates missionary service: Feeling the love of God crucial to missionary work:

Photo by Jason Swensen

President Henry B. Eyring speaks to new mission presidents at the Provo Missionary Training Center on June 25.

The love of God must permeate all missionaries in their charge to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to all people.

That was the message President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, shared June 25 with those gathered together on the opening day of the 2009 New Mission Presidents Seminar.

"Love unfeigned must motivate all we do in missionary service," he said. "It must lead us in our efforts to find people to teach. It must be in our voice and in our manner as we visit with bishops about their opportunity to lead their wards in missionary work. Our love of the Lord and the love of people must be communicated in every lesson we teach. It surely must be behind our invitation for investigators to make a commitment to repent and do what will lead to their happiness."

It was the Savior who promised rest to all "that labor and are heavy laden." That loving invitation, added President Eyring, runs through all the instructions the mission presidents have been given about how to do missionary work and how to lead.

"Your missionaries will feel drawn by the Lord's love. Love begats love. The missionaries and you will feel His love as the Atonement works to change our hearts. Our love for Him will increase. We come to know the Master as we serve with Him. As we know Him better we love Him even more. That will be true for your missionaries."

Mission presidents can teach their missionaries how to know that their offering of labor is approved of the Lord.

"If the Lord sends them the Spirit to carry their message into hearts with increasing power they can know He loves them and is giving His approval," President Eyring said. "When the Lord increasingly softens the heart of a missionary to love the people he or she can know that God is not only accepting their sacrifice, but sanctifying it to them."

The Church leader instructed the mission presidents and their wives to help the missionaries see signs of the Lord's approval. Always look for ways to build and strengthen them. Repeatedly express love and confidence in them — and help them see evidence of the Lord's love for them. Help them feel that they can succeed.

President Eyring asked how missionaries and their leaders can feel a love of God and for all men, whatever their circumstance or calling.

"First and foremost," he answered, "there is the sure promise that as the Atonement of Jesus Christ works in your life, and the lives of your missionaries, the love of God comes as a crowning gift." Faith begats obedience which then begats charity, the pure love of Christ. Charity allows one to see another as God sees them.

"I have learned to pray for discernment to discern as much as I can what God has seen in the life of the person before me and to feel what He feels for them." Indeed, a valuable gift of discernment is to feel what God feels about people and what He wants for them. It is to know something of their future if they choose the right.

God lives and loves all His children, President Eyring testified.

"He hears every prayer. He loves every one you will ever meet. He knows their hearts and your heart. He has gone before your to prepare the way. He beckons for you to follow."

Shaun D. Stahle reported on Jeffrey R. Holland's 26 June 2009 talk Divine companion Teaching by the Spirit:Key to missionary work is the 'ultimate teacher':

Photo by Shaun Stahle,

Speaking to missionaries and new mission presidents during the New Mission Presidents Seminar June 26, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, "You can't go forward in this work without 'the ultimate teacher.' "

"My assignment tonight is to address the very broad subject of the role of the Holy Ghost in missionary work, with special emphasis on 'teaching by the Spirit,' " said Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve, speaking to nearly 600 missionaries in the Provo Missionary Training Center, and another 100 mission presidents and their wives attending the 2009 New Mission Presidents Seminar, June 26.

Photo by Shaun Stahle,

Nearly 600 missionaries at the Provo MTC assemble to hear Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, who welcomed them to the "work of angels."

"I have entitled these remarks 'The Divine Companionship,' " he said.

"My point tonight is to stress that the Spirit must be with you and you must teach by it when you teach because that is the way the lesson ceases to be your lesson and becomes His, becomes under the power of the Spirit a vehicle for lifting your investigators out of the temporal world.

"We are charged with the responsibility of getting people out of their ruts and routines, out of their problems and their pain, out of their earthly little arguments and ignorance and sins, and take them to the Gods — to the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost — ultimately we are to take them toward their own Godhood. In short, we are to take them to the divine. And the Holy Ghost is the connecting link which the Godhead has agreed to give us here in mortality for that heavenly connection. …

"You can't go forward in this work without 'the ultimate teacher.' He must be part of your companionship. … Don't ever forget that the Holy Ghost is the key to that knowledge."

Turning to the mission presidents, Elder Holland said, "You and we have the monumental task of taking these young, bright, willing hearts and minds, and turning them into teachers — teachers whose duty it is to teach, making sure that when they do teach, it is by the Spirit. …

"Teach the missionaries that second only to the responsibility they have to listen to the Spirit is the responsibility they have to listen to the investigator. They must have the patience, sincerity and ability to go where the investigator is, spiritually speaking, before expecting the investigator to come where they are, spiritually speaking. But people won't just leap there simply because the missionaries want them to. The missionaries have to go prayerfully and lovingly out into the highways and byways of these people's lives seeking to discern their challenges and concerns. …

"Once we have found these people, once we know our investigators, then we can find out what they believe and what they enjoy and what they hope for, as well as what they fear and anything they are struggling over. Then we must take them by the hand and lead them with 'that portion that shall be meted unto every man' as the scriptures say (Doctrine and Covenants 84:85). If we will listen with spiritual ears just the way we must see with spiritual eyes, the investigators will tell us what lessons they need to hear! …

"Missionaries today have to study harder, pray more earnestly, plan better, be more pure and teach with more focus and power than they ever did in my day as a young elder." Elder Holland said the discerning missionary will know that his teaching is having the desired effect when one or more of these things happen.

The missionary hears himself saying something he didn't plan to say and learns something from his own instruction that he did not know before.

The Book of Mormon is a pure vehicle of the Spirit because it is the pure word of God. Missionaries must use it in their teaching as often as possible.

The piercing flame of the gospel is felt in the missionary's and the investigator's heart every time a particular point of truth is made.

The investigator honestly admits that "this is a good seed being planted, that he already feels a swelling growth" (Alma 32:28).

There is an awareness by the investigator, spoken or unspoken, that the lesson is showing him a "more excellent way," and that repentance of less noble and less spiritual habits is in order.

Investigator asks soul-searching questions, usually out of this new sense of awareness.

Spirit will prompt testimony and an invitation to be baptized. There comes such joy and peace in the room, such a near-tangible atmosphere of divinity, that neither the missionary, nor the member, nor the investigator experiencing such a moment would choose to be anywhere else in all the world at that time. Sometimes tears will be shed. Always great love will be felt. It is then that the veil is thin, that the Godhead is making its presence felt, and no other time or place would be appealing to those so privileged to be experiencing this. When that moment comes, … the missionary then invites the investigator to be baptized.

"The Godhead will bear testimony of you and your companion — frail, little uncelestial souls that you are — when you have earnestly tried to become part of the Divine Order. You have prayed and studied and fasted appropriately, and have always exerted great faith. You have been obedient to the commandments, to the rules of the mission, and to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. You have kept yourself morally clean in thought, in word, in deed, and have helped your companion do the same. You have tried to develop Christlike attributes, have worked diligent hours and have tried to be a witness of God 'at all times and in all things and in all places' (Mosiah 18:9).

"If you try to live this way — try with all the best that is within you — the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost above you will smile and say, 'It is enough. We will let these missionaries and their investigators feel a portion of the power of heaven. We will let them feel the touch of our unity and our divinity. …'

"Welcome to the work of angels," he said in closing. "Welcome to the work of divinity."

Jason Swensen also reported on L. Tom Perry's talk 26 June 2009 talk Missionaries are truly 'their brother's keeper':

Photo by Shaun Stahle

After nearly a month of training at the Provo Missionary Training Center, these missionaries will soon be serving in the Utah Ogden Mission.

When unity is found in missionary companionships, the Spirit is enabled to guide missionaries to find people to teach and enjoy the guidance of the Holy Ghost. Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve emphasized this principle June 26 in his remarks at the 2009 New Mission Presidents Seminar.

Missionaries truly are "their brother's keeper," he said. Sharing the gospel "two by two" is a spiritual and temporal principle that has been a part of Christ's church for ages.
"The principle of companionship is an eternal one. It is a critical element of a missionary's experience."

Elder Perry said he recently spoke about the task of assigning companionships with his son, President Lee T. Perry, who presided over the California Roseville Mission. President Perry told his father that the importance of deciding on companionships "was near the top of his list because so many important aspects of a missionary's development depends on companionship relationships and what missionaries learn from their companions."

Mission presidents should place high priority on identifying strong trainers for new missionaries because they can help a new elder or sister start their missions off right, said Elder Perry.
He added that presidents should enlist the counsel of their assistants regarding transfers — but to never surrender the sacred decision process of assigning companionships.

Elder Perry shared this companionship/transfer counsel from his mission president son: "First, block out sufficient time so that you avoid feeling pressure. Second, start on your knees, end on your knees, and when you get stuck, get on your knees."

Have faith, and the answers about transfers will come."

Elder Perry spoke of the pain he and his fellow General Authorities have experienced when they have heard accounts of missionaries who failed to protect their companions from serious transgressions. "If we never again listen to such reports, we would indeed feel blessed."

A missionary should be both a "bodyguard" and a "spirit guard" to his or her companion. It's vital that missionaries alert their president if rules are not being obeyed. "Threats of all kinds can be neutralized when companions understand this key responsibility," he said.

Elder Perry told the presidents to teach the missionaries to humbly seek the Lord's help in strengthening their companionships.

"They should repent of companionship failures just as they would other failings," he said. "What better preparation for a companionship of marriage then to learn that life's challenges are always best met when you seek the Lord's help."

Weekly companionship inventories are also essential to help missionaries build their relationships in a frank but gentle manner.

Strong, unified companionships are blessed with the power to find people to teach, he added.
It is vital that missionaries have as many opportunities to teach as possible. Practice role-playing and utilize service opportunities to help build relationships with others that might provide teaching opportunities.

Jason Swenson reported on President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's 26 June 2009 talk 'You will succeed':

President Uchtdorf uplifts new mission presidents:

Photo by Jason Swensen

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf speaks to new mission presidents during a seminar, sharing with them the opportunities that await them as they serve in their fields of labor..

In his June 26 remarks during the 2009 New Mission Presidents Seminar, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency, spoke of the blessed opportunities awaiting those recently called to lead the missions of the Church.

"Presidents and sisters, isn't it great to be part of this divine and sacred work?" he asked. "You will be wonderful. You are not called to fail; you will succeed because God is with you. You will have great and wonderful experiences as leaders in the Church, as missionaries, and especially — the two of you — as a very unique companionship."

The Church leader told the mission presidents and their wives that, yes, their calling is to increase the number of new members. "But it is also to assist local Church leaders and members in establishing and strengthening the Church. These members represent a vital source of strength for you and your missionaries."

The fruits of the labors of the new mission presidents and their wives will be seen and felt in the lives of their own families, in the lives of their missionaries and in the lives of families and individuals in their respective missions.

"Please help your missionaries to understand that the fruits of their labor will reach far beyond their present horizon," said President Uchtdorf. "Generations to come will be grateful and bless their names for their faithfulness and dedication. As these noble missionaries endure rejection, loneliness, self-doubt, homesickness and exhaustion, the Refiner's fire will purify their souls. They will increase in wisdom and grow up in the Lord, and their confidence will wax strong in the presence of God."

The Church leader reminded the mission presidents to never underestimate their influence on the Lord's missionaries. Mission presidents are teachers and trainers who instruct their missionaries through their examples, through interviews, through effective mission training plans and by applying the proven approach of Preach My Gospel.

Enlisting his experiences as an aviator, President Uchtdorf said that a powerful jet reaches its true potential in the air only after the landing gear and takeoff flaps are retracted. Missionaries might experience a similar experience in their labors.

"[The missionaries] may arrive in the mission field a little clumsy, timid or even cocky, but as you help them to get rid of some early drag, as you guide them to develop some added acceleration and extra lift, they will discover their true potential and become what they were meant to be. They will become true servants of the Lord, following His promptings and magnifying their callings — climbing during their mission to greater spiritual heights and reaching out to faraway divine goals."

President Uchtdorf then shared five observations that can help mission presidents and their companions bring about such spiritual transformations in their missionaries.

1 — What is important to you will become important to your missionaries.
2 — Be an example of Christlike love, and express that love frequently to your missionaries, to the members, and to others with whom you come in contact.
3 — Emphasize that the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are the foundation of conversion, retention and activation.
4 — Point your missionaries toward the Savior and His Atonement.
5 — Your primary source of support is from on high.

"One of the great gifts you will give your missionaries, a gift that will stay with them for the rest of their lives, is to teach them how to be close to the Spirit," he said. "Through the Spirit, they become self-motivated and self-directed, and they find joy and satisfaction in continual growth."

Jason Swensen reported on Quentin L. Cook's 27 June 2009 talk Book of Mormon plays vital role in the work:

Photo by Shaun Stahle

Mission presidents and their wives, like young missionaries, spend time at the Provo MTC where they receive training in missionary work.

It is vital that missionaries know that their president is committed to and has a testimony of the Book of Mormon, said Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve.

"They must know this first to be effective missionaries, but second, and even more important, they must know it as a fortification for life," he said June 27 at the 2009 New Mission Presidents Seminar. "It must be so deep in their souls that they can withstand the vicissitudes of life. In a world that is in commotion, they need the protection and armor that comes from a testimony of the Book of Mormon."

Elder Cook anchored his instruction on the vital role the Book of Mormon plays in missionary work. He quoted from Preach My Gospel, saying, "The Book of Mormon is powerful evidence of the divinity of Christ. It is also proof of the Restoration through the Prophet Joseph Smith."

Mission presidents should teach their missionaries to use the scriptures when they speak.

"Some are quoting from Preach My Gospel when they could and should use the scriptures," he said. "No one loves Preach My Gospel more than I do, but it is not a substitute for the scriptures. They should particularly quote scriptures relating to the Savior. The Book of Mormon is truly a second witness of Jesus Christ."

It is the Book of Mormon that answers the questions of the soul: Is there really a God? Did I exist before I was born? Will I live after I die? What is the purpose of life? Is Jesus really the Savior?

The Book of Mormon, he added, also provides answers to the temporal questions of the day.

The power to convert is found in the pages of the Book of Mormon.

"You are all familiar with the numerous accounts of the Book of Mormon being passed from hand to hand and converting many who read it," said Elder Cook. "One of the most compelling is Samuel Smith, brother of the Prophet Joseph, who had nothing but the account of the Restoration and the Book of Mormon to share.

"As a result of his missionary service, future Church leaders Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball came in contact with copies of the Book of Mormon left by Samuel and were baptized."
Elder Cook said he received a personal confirmation that the Book of Mormon was true through prayer when he was 15 years old. "As a missionary reading the scriptures, my testimony of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon was immeasurably enhanced. As I have studied the Book of Mormon throughout my life, the Holy Ghost has continuously borne witness to me that it is true."

Jason Swensen also reported on Bishop Richard C. Edgley 27 June 2009 talk Missionary couple:

Capable people who can provide answers to many challenges:

Bishop Richard C. Edgley, first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, spoke June 27 of the pivotal role that missionary couples can play in establishing the Church.

"These qualified, dedicated missionary couples will be the answer to many of your challenges," he said. "Most of your missionary couples have grown up in the Church. They understand Church government. They understand Church policy. They are good teachers and they have strong testimonies.

"These are capable people."

Missionary couples can provide far-reaching leadership and training in a mission, he added. Their duties can range from holding local leadership positions and assisting in the mission office to serving as examples and a source of support to the young elders and sisters.

"They can make a difference in your missions."

Bishop Edgley said some couples might not fall under the direct supervision of the mission president as they fulfill assignments in the Church Educational System, the temple or perhaps in an area office.

"However, all should have a spiritual mission," he said. "To the extent their other assignments will permit, you can enhance their missions by utilizing them in teaching, reactivating, bearing testimony and building the Church."

Unfortunately, not all missionary couples feel they are being appropriately utilized and thus do not have worthwhile or wonderful missions. Bishop Edgley offered several suggestions on how mission presidents can better communicate with couples while identifying assignments that will help them contribute and find joy in their service.

"I can personally testify that the great majority of our couples have wonderful, spiritual experiences," he said. "That is why they keep coming back, and back and back — making great sacrifices to serve."

Jason Swensen summarized President Thomas S. Monson remarks during a special Sunday, 28 June 2009 Mission Presidents' sacrament meeting talk Build mission spirit, Pres. Monson urges: Love, motivate sacred charges, new mission presidents told:

Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News

President Thomas S. Monson addresses more than 100 mission presidents and their wives during the annual seminar at the MTC in Provo.

The 2009 New Mission Presidents Seminar offered scores of new mission presidents and their wives a priceless opportunity to come together and receive four days of training prior to embarking on their three-year assignments.

The days were filled with instruction at the feet of apostles and other Church leaders. (See accompanying stories.) The seminar concluded with words of encouragement and counsel from President Thomas S. Monson, himself a former mission president.

The Church leader spoke for almost an hour in a special June 28 sacrament meeting. There he offered the mission presidents and their wives practical direction on how to love and motivate their sacred charges — the full-time missionaries.

"The tears come easily to me when I realize the calls that you have, the experiences that you will have and the influence that you will have," said President Monson, looking out upon a congregation of mission leaders hailing from all corners of the globe.

"I know that you are dedicated to the work of the Lord and to the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ," he said. "I also know that the missionaries who will serve under your direction will be loved and guided by you."

The missionaries, he added, represent "the flower of the Church." They represent the hopes, prayers and dreams of their parents. They represent sacrifice, he said.

President Monson enlisted equal measures of common sense and personal experience in offering counsel about motivating missionaries.

"First, your missionaries can be motivated through your personal interviews with them," he said.
That first contact that a missionary has with his or her president is all-important. President Monson counseled the presidents to greet new missionaries at the airport or train depot. Welcome them "to the greatest mission in the world."

Interview each of the new missionaries and learn about their background, their families and their objectives. Take careful notes.

Those interviews that a mission president has with elders and sisters already serving in the field can also inspire and motivate, he said.

"My observation is that a proper interview should take place at about six to eight week intervals," President Monson said. "If you have them more frequently than that, you will find they become too commonplace. If you wait a more lengthy period, you will probably miss some of the things that otherwise could be learned in an interview."

Interviews should be positive, he added. "My suggestion is that we provide help — that we love, not scold."

The missionary transfer period also offers a mission president a special opportunity to motivate. President Monson reminded his audience that only the mission president transfers missionaries within his mission. Beware of the temptation to delegate that sacred duty to zone leaders or assistants to the president, he continued.

"Every missionary has the right to expect his mission president, on bended knee, to seek inspiration concerning where he should be and with whom he should serve," he said.

President Monson promised that mission presidents would witness the hand of God at work as they seek inspiration in transferring missionaries. As a mission president in Canada, he was once inspired to assign a missionary to an area where a large number of Italian immigrants resided.

President Monson did not know that this particular elder had learned Italian from his mother — or that his language skills would bless the lives of many immigrant families investigating the Church in his new area.

President Monson encouraged the mission presidents to resist the urge to transfer the missionaries too frequently. Be judicious and allow the missionaries to remain in areas long enough to build essential relationships with members and investigators, he advised.

The Church president also said the work of sharing the gospel is best served in areas where the Church is already established. "Put missionaries in areas where there are established branches where we can move from the centers of strength outward.

"In that way, we have access to proper fellowshipping in an established unit where we will hold the fruits of our labors rather than losing them as fast as we gain them."

The personal letters that missionaries write each week to their president and parents can also help motivate the elders and sisters, he said.

"Every missionary should have the privilege of personally writing a letter to the mission president and knowing that the mission president is reading that letter."

He indicated the weekly mission president letter can provide a mission leader with invaluable information with regard to the well being of missionary companionships and the proselyting work in a particular area.

President Monson also stressed the importance of each missionary writing his or her parents every week. He said lives can be forever changed and blessed when elders and sister missionaries dutifully communicate each week with mothers and fathers about their missionary activities.

President Monson also commented on the proper use of preparation day in motivating missionaries. Make certain "preparation" day does not become a "diversion" day that puts missionaries at physical or spiritual risk, he cautioned. "Do nothing on preparation day that would rob [the missionaries] of their spirituality."

Remember, he added, all evenings should be "proselyting evenings."

He emphasized that preparation day ends at 5 p.m.

The missionary meetings are also ideal forums to motivate missionaries, he said. "Let the missionary meetings be meetings which build and uplift and inspire." He urged the mission presidents to utilize zone conferences and other meetings to demonstrate finding and teaching skills, indicating that "show how" is more effective than "tell how."

He encouraged them to share successes and testimonies.

President Monson also spoke of the value of involving members in missionary work. "The greatest single thing that you as a mission president can do to increase the effectiveness of your missionaries and their productivity is to ensure that the proper relationship is maintained with ecclesiastical leaders in the areas where the missionaries are proselyting," he said.

He admonished the mission presidents to build up the mission spirit. "Presidents and their wives can instill in a missionary the feeling that he or she is serving in the best mission in the Church," he said.

President Monson concluded his remarks by testifying again of the influence mission presidents and their wives will have for good in the lives of their missionaries and the members.
"God bless you," he said. "It's a delight to be with you in the service of the Master."

Jason Swensen reported on Boyd K. Packer's 29 June 2009 final day talk Church advances as missionaries perform labor: To establish the Church, begin with family in the home:

Photo by Jason Swensen

President Boyd K. Packer tells new mission presidents that if there are congregations attending meetings and the gospel is being taught, then they have done what they were called to do.

During his June 29 talk at the 2009 New Mission Presidents Seminar, President Boyd K. Packer marveled at the growth of the Church he has witnessed since he served as a mission president more than four decades ago.

"When we were called on our mission, there were 30-some missions," said President Packer, who serves as president of the Quorum of the Twelve.

"There were seven mission presidents that went out at that time. We had what was called our seminar over in the Relief Society Building. Most of the instruction centered on how to keep records. And yet we went into a mission and into a world greatly different from what we have now. That will be your lot."

At the time of President and Sister Packer's mission, the Church was just reaching the 2 million member mark. Now the Church is moving toward 14 million. There has been a great proliferation of wards and stakes across the globe.

"It is a new thought to us across the Church that we are not to be duplicating the Wasatch Front out there with the number of buildings and the congregations and the large audiences and activities that go on and on," he said. "We are to establish the gospel."

President Packer counseled the mission presidents not to be unsettled if they do not, say, bring a new stake into the Church during their tenure.

"If you have congregations of people in branches, and the gospel is being taught, and they are understanding it, then you have done what you are called to do. Building the Church seems to center around buildings and budgets and programs and procedures, but somewhere in the midst of it the gospel is struggling for breath. Get that fixed in the minds of your elders."

New mission presidents go out into a world that has become toxic and poisonous to the Spirit.
"Teach your missionaries that they need not be ashamed to be different from … the general population," said President Packer. "If they are decent, they will stand out."

The Church, he added, will move forward when the missionaries "do what they ought to do." It moves forward through the Spirit.

"If you want to establish the Church, the place to begin is in the home with the father and the mother and the children. Respect them for what they are and what they have. You will be blessed, and they will be blessed, and the Church will grow."

President Packer reminded the new mission presidents and their wives that the Lord would guide them in their sacred duty.

"If you know that, you will not make any mistakes dealing with members, with the Church, with the administration, with anything else, because you are ordained now to have that power with you.

"So we will not worry about you. We will send you out there with impossible circumstances, sometimes dangerous, but the Lord will be with you, and you will be all right."

Even though this seems like a duplication putting it all in one place helps you get a comprehensive feel for the messages and emphasis being placed on missionary service. It must be an exciting calling to be a mission president. If you want to learn about being a mission president I suggest you read the side bar of this blog and see the dozen or so mission presidents and their weekly happenings on their blogs.